Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time; Bartók: Contrasts

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Oliver Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time (1940) and the outbreak of World War II essentially ended the dominance in French music of Les Six and the French Impressionists. Messiaen wrote the Quartet while he was in a German prison camp. He premiered the work in front of 5000 inmates. Bela Bartók, on the other hand, was forced into a heart-breaking exile in America for the war's duration. Bartók's Contrasts (1940) was his last commissioned work before he left Hungary, commissioned for Benny Goodman. It's a brilliant virtuoso role for the clarinetist, who recorded it that year. Both are classics. --Paul Cook

Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time; Bartók: Contrasts, Music, Olivier Messiaen, Bela Bartok, Ik-Hwan Bae, Chamber Music Northwest, William Doppmann, Warren Lash, David Shifrin, Chamber, Classical, Classical Composers, Mixed Chamber Ensemble with Keyboard

Olivier Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time; Bartók: Contrasts
Average customer rating:

Way too short

Concert Favorites - Favorite Concert!

Olivier Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time; Bartók: Contrasts
Chamber Music Northwest , William Doppmann , Warren Lash , and David Shifrin
Manufacturer: Delos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Bartók, Béla | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
All Works by Messiaen | Messiaen, Olivier | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000006W3
Release Date: 1992-12-11

Tracks:

Quartet For The End Of Time: Liturgie de cristal
Quartet For The End Of Time: Vocalise, pour l'Ange qui annonce la fin du Temps
Quartet For The End Of Time: Abime des oiseaux
Quartet For The End Of Time: Intermede
Quartet For The End Of Time: Louange a l'Eternite de Jesus
Quartet For The End Of Time: Danse de la fureur, pour les sept trompettes
Quartet For The End Of Time: Fouillis d'arcs-en-ciel, pour l'Ange qui annonce la fin du Temps
Quartet For The End Of Time: Louange a l'Immortalite de Jesus
Contrasts: Verbunkos
Contrasts: Piheno
Contrasts: Sebes

Amazon.com

Oliver Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time (1940) and the outbreak of World War II essentially ended the dominance in French music of Les Six and the French Impressionists. Messiaen wrote the Quartet while he was in a German prison camp. He premiered the work in front of 5000 inmates. Bela Bartók, on the other hand, was forced into a heart-breaking exile in America for the war's duration. Bartók's Contrasts (1940) was his last commissioned work before he left Hungary, commissioned for Benny Goodman. It's a brilliant virtuoso role for the clarinetist, who recorded it that year. Both are classics. --Paul Cook

Customer Reviews:

Way too short.......2004-11-17

Three out of the eight movements feature a soloist. Movement three features the clarinet, movement five features the cello and movement eight is mostly a violin solo. These movements should be played slowly and be as long as possible. On this recording, movement three is great, and at 9 minutes it is about the longest clarinet solo available for this quartet. The other two movements, however, are way too short. Movement five is 4 mintes shorter than the EMI release and movement eight is 3 minutes shorter than the Haitnik rendition. It's not because repeats were not taken, it's because it's played way too fast which ruins the mood of this austere work. Get the RCA Victor recording with Serkin on piano or the Haitnik. Even the Naxos is better than this.

Concert Favorites - Favorite Concert!.......2000-03-20

These performances of two favorite concert works, "The Quartet for the End of Time," and "Contrasts," by Oliver Messiaen and Bela Bartok, respectively, are by far the finest on record to date. As they will unlikely ever be surpassed, this is the only recording you will ever desire to hear and the only recording you'll need. As to be expected from clarinetist David Shifrin, his playing rises well above the workmanlike, and is artistic in every way. The colors he acheives does well to show why his instrument is the most important wind instrumet, and he takes advantage of its possibilities. Shifrin's collegues from Chamber Music Northwest also deserve special attention. Ik-hwan Bea's beautiful violin tone balances that of the clarinet. Pianist William Doppmann expertly captures the famous Messiaen chord-colors. Cellist Warren Lash shines in his solo movement in the Quartet. All performances are fresh, with an amazing sense of unity and rhythmic tightness and polish that few ensembles ever achieve.

Highly Recommended

Track Listings: